Pair words mean things in general: quần áo, bàn ghế
collective pairs
Pattern: [noun 1][noun 2] (general sense, not counted with a number)
Vietnamese often puts two related nouns side by side to mean that whole kind of thing in general. Quần (trousers) and áo (shirt) make quần áo, clothes. Bàn (table) and ghế (chair) make bàn ghế, furniture. Ông bà is grandparents, vợ chồng a married couple, nhà cửa house and home, sách vở books and school things. No và (and) goes between them: "my parents" is ba mẹ em (in Hà Nội bố mẹ em), not ba và mẹ em.
Because they name a whole category, these pairs aren't counted with a number and a classifier. Say nhiều quần áo (lots of clothes) or bàn ghế mới (new furniture). To count, go back to the single words, hai cái áo, bốn cái ghế, or use a word for a set: một bộ quần áo, an outfit.
Some pairs are about people together: vợ chồng anh Minh is Minh and his wife, and anh em can mean brothers, or a close group of mates.
You'll meet many more. Some, like cây cối (trees, plants), are built from a rhyme rather than two words; they have their own page.
Examples
Highlighted words are what Saigon and Hà Nội say differently.
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Cuối tuần em giặt quần áo.
I do my laundry at the weekend.
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Bàn ghế ở quán này đẹp quá.
The furniture in this café is so nice.
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Vợ chồng anh Minh mới mua nhà.
Minh and his wife have just bought a house.
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Ông bà em sống ở Cần Thơ.
My grandparents live in Cần Thơ.
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Saigon
Ba mẹ em đều khỏe.
Hà Nội
Bố mẹ em đều khỏe.
My parents are both well.